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The Final Word On Mrs. O's Exposed Arms: The Official White House Portrait

Michelle Obama's appearance at last week's congressional address in a sleeveless Narciso Rodriguez sheath dress had some traditionalist folks well, up in arms. But if the recent release of the official White House portrait is any indication, the First Lady is sticking by her (insanely toned) guns and deeming sleeveless totally appropriate. Keep reading to see why we think it's a Do, too.

Here's Mrs. O in all of her official First Lady glory--what do you guys think? Her dress is a completely classic LBD, designed by American sportswear legend Michael Kors, and once again, shows off her totally buff arms.

And here's why it works: The trick to making any exposed flesh look appropriate in a conservative setting is always balance. Sure, she's showing off her arms (and we think they look incredible! Check out how we suggest you take a cue from Mrs. O and flaunt your own best body parts!), but her neckline is very high and her hemline is very low, leaving a wide swath of coverage that helps temper the exposure. It's a rule of thumb I always observe--when you're wearing a miniskirt, go for a turtleneck up top. If you've got a low-cut shirt on, wear it with conservative, wide-leg pants. In the First Lady's case, she chooses a very demure body part to flaunt and strikes a nice balance with the rest of her look. She manages to look proper and professional and still show off a bit of her hard work at the gym--is there anything this woman can't do?

What do you guys think about all of the hubbub over Michelle's exposed arms? Do you think it's silly that people are so concerned about it? What do you think of her official White House portrait? And if you're after arms like hers, check out Glamour's upper body workout that will have you looking like a Mrs. O doppelganger in no time!